Saturday, May 10, 2008

Last night I went to dance class. First time since February. Naturally I was excited. I absolutely love to swing, fox trot & cha cha.

Disclaimer - names have been changed to protect the poor dancers.

There are several gentleman that I always end up dancing w/ at least once. Bob is about 50 and thinks he knows everything about dance. Mind you, he's only a social ballroom dancer, and has only been dancing for a few years. He has to stop & start constantly to stay on beat.

Next is Pete. He's about 75. He had heart surgery 15 years ago and dances to keep his body healthy. Attention Pete - just quit smoking a pack+ a day. That'll help. He's always trying to do the Viennese waltz...even when it's a cha cha. The Viennese Waltz should not be done by anyone over the age of 60 (w/ a few exceptions). He asks me to dance 5+ times a night. He's pretty sweet though.

Let's talk about Kyle. He's probably 25 & 6 ft. tall. He's decided that he won't adjust his frame for any woman, no matter how short. This results in some serious arm cramps while in a closed position. Although after last night, I'm thinking the open position is worse. He asks me to East Coast swing. He's not on beat. He decides to swing me out and pushes me so I'll do a double or triple turn. While I'm turning, he adlibs some cool John Travolta Grease Lightning moves. He wears super tight pants, so he really looks the part. Well, except for the glasses & the acne. I secretly prayed for the "Grease Lightning" to strike while we were dancing, so it would all just stop.

One more. Eric is about 25. He always wants to cha cha, but is still learning how. He likes to make up moves and claim that they are "advanced" steps. Hello? I've been dancing ballroom (among many other types of dance)MY ENTIRE LIFE. You can't fool me. Anyway, he always asks me out to Applebee's afterward nearly every time. Of course I don't go. Now I find out that only a few years ago "he" was a "she". Hmm...

So last night I walk in, NOBODY RECOGNIZES ME. Finally Tina says "Wow, I wouldn't have recognized you on the street!" The owner of the studio said the same thing.

I said hello to a nice gentleman that I usually sit by...he just walked away & smiled. This continued for several people. So I thought I'd conduct an experiment.

Experiment - Can I avoid dancing w/ the above mentioned folks for one evening? Maybe none of them will recognize me with straight hair, and I'll get the opportunity to dance w/ some of the young bucks that have some energy to really move.

It worked for most of the night. Pete recognized me and asked me twice (he of course did the Viennese). I obliged and used the time to talk. At least my lungs got a little workout, my legs sure didn't.

I did get to teach a few new guys how to foxtrot & swing. All in all it was a successful experiment. I think I heard (about 5 times) "Who's the new girl?" Girl? Wow - that alone was worth the time it took to straighten my locks. Wait, I guess when you're 75, a 31 year old looks like a girl. Never mind.